The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-11-10
| WORD FoR THE aJoHNNLRs. )"

Much severe comment and no little
criticism has been INDUCED in at the
expense Of the rebel veterans who par
in their reunion at Macon,
Georgia, because one intoxicated rebel |
out Of thirty or forty thousand sober |
ones, insisted that another rebel COM
rade should not carry small toy union |
flag on an old rebel pike stan, and
finally succeeded in inducing him to |
take it OF. Such an occurrence would
not be apt to occur in the north, but
if 1t did it is not probable that any
thing would be said about it, other
than that it was simply the act Of q
man not accountable for his deeds at
the time. :.
To union soldier who has seen SER
vice, the act referred to above Is the
one thing most deserving of censure Of
all that took place in Macon.
Not a union soldier who has ever at
tended reunion but has felt the heart
thrill and the warmth OF feeling that
made his pulse bound with pleasure at
the sight Of an old comrade or leader
W liz 4eI0 buAC1C0 anu may OOS DAC4
his blood in the same cause as himself.
Not one who has experienced this feel
ing, and has the least generosity Of
heart, and can put himself In the place
of those old ''rebel'' veterans, but must
feel that were he one Of them-no mat
ter how much he might now think he
had been in the wrong and how terribly
wrong had been his leader (Jeh Davis)
he would have felt the warm blood
coursing through his veins and his
heart stirred as nothing else could
stir it.
Because the rebel cause was wrong
does not take away the feeling Of COM
radeship, which we Grand Army men
talk 30 much of and have all felt more
or less. Undoubtedly the rebellion was
treason, and treason should be made
odious. Undoubtedly JEFF Davis was
traitor and deserved death for his
crimes. But. as he was not hanged,
and is allowed to run at large, can we
blame the men who shed their blood
and lost their all in q cause which they
then thought to be right, because, for
sooth, the sight of the old man revives
their recollections Of the tolls and dam
gers. Not theirs, then, to stop and
think that he was prime cause Of all
the loss of life and misery caused by
the dreadful war. But rather theirs
the thought of the noble deeds Of dar-
ing, the thousand recollections that
only come to the ex-soldier at the sight
of a leader who had also suffered. Not
the cause half 50 much as comrade-
ship was thought Of.
In fact, we believe no old soldier who
has attended reunion, especially of
his own regiment, after being separa-
ted for years, Is capable OF telling
what he thought about, or said, or why
he was hugging and crying, and posi-
bly, actually kissing great big over
grown, gray-bearded men. It was not
because they loved the union and hated
secession; it was not because they par
ticularly loved the individuals. It was
simply, as comrade Of the writer ex.
pressed it to his wife in Manchester
Iowa, on the 18th of September last
Because I'm old fool, I guess, and
can't help it." And that's just what
was the matter with the "JOhnnies'
when they met their old comrades al
Macon few days ago.
These were not the men who diC
their fighting by proxy, like the north
ern copperheads. These are not tn
men who howl for a return Of flag
captured in desperate conflict. Thes
are not the men who oppose pension
bills to INDECENT union soldiers. Blu
they are the men who had the courag
, to risk their lives daily and hourly 70
what they then thought to be right
/ and the men who to-day, without
: doubt, would as readily risk their live
j. and fortunes in a conflict against an
/ and all foes of our common country.
+ Then let them have their reunion
and hug and kiss one another as muc
as they like. And we union soldier
will do the same.
This may, to some, seem queer lar
J guage to come from an ex-union soldiC
= who carried a musket against tn
"Johnnies," and who has alWay
!, voted the straight republican ticke
= and who still expects to do SO, as Ion
as the party puts good men an
measures to the front. But we'll b
: our pile the true old soldier, whethe
b he be "Yank'' or a 'Reb," will I'll
r derstand what we are driving at, an
v will acknowledge the same feelinI
to creator or less extent.